Hi,my name is Alan Woodcock.I have been bird-watching in the area for nearly fifty years and (bird ringing)since 1980.I hope to keep up to date sightings of wildlife I have seen (mainly birds)with occasional diary entries of past times.

Jeanette and I always try to go to either Sheppey or Dungeness on Boxing Day,this year we chose to go to Sheppey.We parked at Leysdown and walked along the beach to Shellness,seeing on the way,Brent Geese,Redshank,Grey Plover,Sanderling,Dunlin,Knot,Oystercatcher,Turnstones and Sanderling.On the sea it was nice to see a flock of at least (300)Mallard.Perhaps they had been pushed off the marsh by wildfowlers,although we didn`t hear any shooting,which I thought was unusual for Boxing Day.

Monday, 19 December 2011

When I returned home I put up my garden net for a while and caught (1) Blue Tit,(4) Goldfinch and (2)Reed Buntings.One of the Reed Buntings was a retrap,a bird I had caught in the garden during February 2010.I have now at Least (8)different Reed Buntings visiting the garden.

The bottom Photo is a first year Reed Buntings tail,note the rather worn and pointed tips.The top photo is a adult birds tail,it is less worn and the tips are rounded.

This morning I walked out to the river and Abbey Mead,passing Brookland lake on the way.When I started the walk it was nice and bright with a heavy frost but by the time I had finished one and a half hours later it was dull and overcast.I was hoping to find one of the rarer grebes or perhaps a Goosander,but as it turned out it was just another average walk.Birds of note that I saw or heard were (3)Water Rails,two called from within the Sunken marsh and the third called from the reeds along by the river.Pochard numbered (21) with (9) on Brookland and (12)on Abbey Mead (1)Cetti`s called from the Sunken marsh and I saw totals of (4) Bullfinch (15)Teal (4) Gadwall (3) Jays and singles of Green and G S Woodpeckers.Redwings and Fieldfares had fallen in numbers,with perhaps only 10)of each seen.

Monday, 12 December 2011

This morning I went to Oare marsh with Bob Bland and Derrick Jackson.Oare marsh is on the south side of the Swale,opposite to where I was on Saturday/Sunday night.Although it was a beautiful clear bright morning,the only down side was a bitterly cold westerly wind,but this was more than compensated for by the finding of some good birds.Birds of note seen G W Egret (1) Ruff (15+) Avocet (100+) Pintail (6) Hen Harrier (1 ring-tail) Common Buzzard (2) Rough legged Buzzard (1) the Buzzards were seen flying together over Harty Hill,Merlin (1) Marsh Harrier (2) Twite, several were seen in with a flock of (20+) Linnets on the saltings west of the car park and good numbers of Black-tailed Godwit and Avocets.

Sunday, 11 December 2011

Six of us met at Harty (21.15) which was three hours before high tide and caught just over thirty birds.Although it was nice and calm,with a slight frost,there was a full moon,which very rarely results in a large catch.Most of the activity occurred while we were erecting the nets and for a while shortly after,which was rather unusual as the birds usually arrive in numbers from about one hour before high tide.

We caught five species of birds Dunlin (8) Avocet(1) Bar-tailed Godwit (16) Grey Plover (1) and Redshank (3).Although there were no controls we had a number of retraps,including a (5) year old Dunlin and a (14) year old Bar-tailed Godwit.

My thanks to Rodney Smith for a very pleasant nights ringing,spent in good company.

Saturday, 3 December 2011

First thing this morning I popped down to the Trout Lake at Leybourne to see if the Goldeneye that Greenie had found there yesterday was still present.However despite having a good look,it was no where to be seen.It may well have been tucked away close into the bank some where,but I couldn`t see it.I then thought perhaps it had moved onto one of the other lakes,so I had a look at Alders,Tesco,Brookland and then Abbey Mead,but still no Goldeneye.

While I was looking over the lakes I thought I might as well do something useful and had a head count of Pochard and found (49) with the main flock of (33) birds being present on Alders.

Other birds of note that I saw were two Goldcrests and one of the Bitterns that frequents the Streamside lake.

During the afternoon I had a walk out at Luddesdown and saw (3) Buzzards,one of which was displaying (1) Sparrowhawk (1) RAVEN and a mixed flock of Rooks,Jackdaws and Carrion Crows numbering at least (1000) birds.